[Downtown Victoria] Crystal Garden Block announcement

I will stop using "edit" it so liberally if that is a problem. (But means I will need to think before I write :-)

I think liberal use of "edit" makes for mighty confusing reading if it is applied after someone has responded to your posts. Nothing wrong with changing your mind, but best ammend your thoughts in a later post rather than rewriting history...

I thought all the lots along Wharf St, including Ship's Point, the so-called Reid site (never hear it called that before...), etc, were owned by the Provincial Capital Commission, & not the city?

No, it's a mixed bag. Some pieces are PCC, others City, and still others are Federal.

Not sure if it's right or fair to say this, but it seems that this contributes to throwing monkey wrenches into overall plans for doing anything down there. For eg., even getting a Harbour Walkway is a nightmare, because you have to negotiate with so many different landowners.

PS:

THe city does own both. Also for clarification the Apex site is the car rental lots.

Thanks for the clarification, G-man!

When you buy a game, you buy the rules. Play happens in the space between the rules.

Me- City council, which is also the board of the Children's museumCaramia - I, and others interpreted this as an attempt to suggest conflict of interest. Of course on examination it was shown that there was no conflict of interest, no impropriety, and NO member of City Council turned out to be on the board of the Children's Museum. This is an example of what I would call a smear. It doesn't matter if it is true or false - once it is repeated enough it sticks.---

To be clear, I did suggest a potential conflict of interest. It was not shown there was no conflict of interest simply because you don't feel there was one. This is not a smear campaign, or some secret conspiracy. If you know me, I stick to the facts.

There are city councillors on the board of advisors, according to the Children's museum website as I write this so I don't know how you can say this isn't the case. The same councilor in one case who voted against the lawn bowling club in principle, for (potentially) the Children's museum:

http://www.victoria....n080313_cnc.pdf"Crystal Garden BlockIt was moved by Councillor Holland, seconded by Councillor Coleman, that Council support inprinciple the proposed Planning Options on the Crystal Gardens Block as presented to Council by staff in a presentation dated March 5, 2008. Carried"

The plans which first mentioned the Children's museum are included in this proposed Planning Options.

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The other quote that was me: "Initially the mayor wanted to replace the green with a parking lot, that created public outcry. Then the tune changed, apparently within a month, to replace the green with a Children's museum and art gallery"

The mayor was quoted in the newspaper as proposing a parking lot in January if I recall. Around a month later the planning options study was presented. It could also be noted there was a meeting with the mayor and the lawn bowling club between these times where the mayor said there are no serious plans for the park area and a month later the planning options were released.

I can provide links to the newspaper article and minutes if you really need them...

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While you might take this as me politicking, you're entitled to your opinion. My only hope here is to provide a view that those not directly involved in the process would be aware of and make their own decisions. Caramia stated what I believe to be racy and false claims, but I remained quiet until she called me on the two items above as I believe in democracy. All the lawn bowling club wanted was a transparent and accountable process. Something I also want is a long-term vision that the entire community support.

The one thing that is news to me is this notion that the lawn bowling club was only intended to be temporary and that everyone has known this for decades. Can someone provide evidence to this effect? I've been involved with the process around this 85 year old club and no one in the past year has made such a claim. Please provide reference material, as I have done the courtesy above for the claims against me.

On a more positive note, I spoke to many of the potential councilors and the vast majority insinuate they are aligned with the same vision I have. An accountable and transparent process, and one that involves the community in creating a long-term plan we can all be proud of. Here's to hoping!

The discussion should surround the current use or potential use of the Crystal Garden Block. Anymore posts from either POV regarding conspiracies, plots or any skulldugery will be removed.

It isn't hard just stick to what you would like to see there whether that be a park or a ball park or a parkade. If someone says something, try and point out why you disagree and provide a beneficial post on an alternate solution.

I would love to see a beautiful new library in Victoria. Something like what Seattle has, but obviously on a much smaller scale - something architecturally appealing that could replace the inappropriate and dated low-rise office space that the central library is shoe-horned into now. With Victoria's unique social climate, it is ripe for having a leading, innovative library system. The location of the Crystal Garden block may be slightly more inconvienent to downtown workers than it is now (or would it?), but it would certainly be more discoverable by tourists.

I would love to see a beautiful new library in Victoria. Something like what Seattle has, but obviously on a much smaller scale - something architecturally appealing that could replace the inappropriate and dated low-rise office space that the central library is shoe-horned into now. With Victoria's unique social climate, it is ripe for having a leading, innovative library system. The location of the Crystal Garden block may be slightly more inconvienent to downtown workers than it is now (or would it?), but it would certainly be more discoverable by tourists.

Probably dreaming though.

-------- just a reminder -------

Library staff went on strike eariler this year .From the perspective of the employee's , it went on too long. ( Union-busting via Prolonged strike )

And from user's of the Library , it went on too long.( people were fined for books they couldn't return )

---- Lastly --------Some rare books in Victoria have been vandalized.( whole pages have been cut-out & sold )

so I'm not too Kean , to build a library dedicated to tourists ...!Besides, who pays for it ...????? (citizens )

Who benefits the most ..? ( downtown business's & hotels )

Who lose's ...? ( You & Me buddy ) security will be fallowing me around because i don't meet the aesthetic of what a tourist looks like . You'll lose because security won't be watching your books...! (they'll be to busy watch me)

( like they do when I go to the City-archives , provincial-archives, U of Vic's archives etc.)

--------- Bottom line --------

Last time I checked with tourist's in our town ,coming here to visit a library wasn't even on the list ...!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Perhaps the Pointy-hats in the development community , needs to go back to reading the EXIT-Surveys ...! ( just a thought )

Park staff have put in new garden beds, paved walkways, wired in lighting, installed irrigation systems, added new benches and lain fresh sod. A metal picket style fence has been installed around the treed portion and extended by COOL around their site.

CPLBC members have installed wooden lattice fencing along the west public walkway, levelled the green, installed wooden plinths and created new rose borders. The Club is actively fund raising for fencing along Belleville Street and hope to have it in for this summer season.

At the heart of the Park, where the paths converge, a stone obelisk has been erected. Historical markers for Mary and Edward Cridge, the Church Of Our Lord, the Head of the Harbour and recreational heritage will be stationed around this stone.

The following is an invitation from the Mayor's office:

You are invited to attend a gathering to celebrate the renewal of Cridge Park and its historical significance to Victoria.

What: Cridge Park Renewal Celebration

When: Friday, April 8, 2011, from 11:15 a.m. to noon

Where. Cridge Park, 720 Belleville Street

A reception will follow at the Church of Our Lord, adjacent to the park.

Parking is available on-street and at the parking lot off Belleville Street.

I wrote this last year on the Cridge park planning thread an I stick by it.

For heaven's sake do something drastic with this god forsaken park. Little cosmetic retouches won't be good enough. Let's say all the city does is remove the fence, add a path, and keep the lawn neat and tidy. Will that encourage more people to use it? I can't see how. Will it discourage the homeless from setting up there? Maybe, but at least now the park is of some use. It's like the authorities and the homeless have come to an agreement: "You can hang in Cridge Park and we will leave you alone." Just cleaning the place up cosmetically and keeping it sterile would almost be inhumane in a way. If their going to shut this little homeless hovel down, at least it should be for a purpose - however small and pointless. How 'bout a set of tracks for model trains, or a racetrack for remote control cars? Or a skate park? A skating rink? An outdoor roller derby? A hedge maze? A playground? A series of treehouses with suspension bridges running from one tree to another? None of these require any trees to be cut down. Victorian's are so afraid to change anything, even if it means for the better.If this isn't going to "shelter" the homeless, and if this park isn't going to be a children's museum, then it owes us something for its existence. It needs to earn its keep.

For a truly huge waste of money nothing can possibly beat the $500,000 about to be spent on "plazas" and meandering paths in the heart of Crackton...er I mean the 900 block of Pandora. The decisions of our local government truly boggle my mind some times.

Cridge is a beautiful little park! Given that they spent very little money on it, the landscaping is interesting and the night time lighting actually invites people to go in and makes it a safe short cut for folks to get to the Atria.